By the looks of many new residential developments in the West, multifamily living isn’t just a stage before home ownership. These properties give residents amenities aplenty without distancing them from the charm and attractions of the surrounding cities.

Vue

Offering plush amenities inside and tremendous views outside, the $175 million Vue will be the first high-rise residential waterfront community in Old Town San Pedro, California.Old Town San Pedro will soon be home to its first high-rise residential waterfront community once Vue breaks ground in June. The $175 million development is the vision of Raffi Cohen, the president of Galaxy Commercial Holding LLC, who has owned the Vue site since 2000. Located at Fifth and Palos Verdes streets, just a short drive across the Vincent Thomas Bridge to Long Beach, the 318-unit, 16-story project is within close proximity to Old Town San Pedro’s restaurants, art district and of course, its port and waterfront.

“One of Galaxy’s development philosophies is looking for and identifying up and coming areas and then contributing to that process of development not only of the specific site but seeing what other things in the area can contribute to a really great living experience,” says Rhonda Slavik, marketing manager for the Vue. “And San Pedro was perfect for that.”

Vue is named for its ocean, harbor, Palos Verdes Peninsula and city views and offers 27 floor plans in one-, two- and three-bedroom formats, ranging in size from 700 square feet to more than 1,713 square feet. Amenities include a landscaped courtyard designed around a pool with private cabanas, a rooftop sky deck on the 16th floor, a lounge, a state-of-the-art fitness center, a Yoga and Pilates studio, a controlled access system and a five-story parking structure with parking for 725 vehicles. Each unit is designed to include private terraces and balconies to take advantage of the amazing views.

“[We’re] very focused on amenities and a great finish level that will be attractive to buyers not only now but be relevant 10, 15, 20 years from now and be located in a very iconic, recognizable building,” says Slavik.

Beverly Hills, Calif.-based Galaxy is developing Vue in a joint venture partnership with The Carlyle Group and has looked to Kobi Moses, principal of Santa Monica, Calif.-based GMP Architects, for the design of the project.

“Together they came up with the identity and feeling of the building that they wanted and it’s taken off from there,” Slavik says.

One of the most unexpected events of the development process is the heightened interest level from prospective buyers. Advertising began in the last week of January, and after four weekends the interest list includes more that 1,200 people. Slavik is surprised by the interest list. “Normally marketing would fall under that category [of biggest challenges], but our interest list has been so strong, we feel it’s a really good indicator about how sales are going to go.”

Demolition of an existing structure on the Vue site is scheduled for May, and Galaxy and Carlyle will begin building the high-rise property in June. The project is slated for an early 2008 occupancy.

This is Galaxy’s first project in the San Pedro/ Long Beach area and its first for-sale housing, ground-up project. The company was attracted to the project because of its location as one of the last unknown waterfront areas in California.

“People have seen values in the properties increase dramatically in the last 2 years, from downtown Los Angeles to San Diego,” says Slavik. “Long Beach has undergone a huge revitalization and a lot of that is carrying over to interest in San Pedro because it’s so close. It has a lot of the same characteristics that you would want [in a neighborhood], all the basic, great things you need for a good urban living experience.”